Travel 2.0 is not just a hip word, it is something that is actually happening and will bring changes to the online travel industry. Travel planning and booking on the web are among the most popular online activities and online travel sales are growing at an explosive rate (over $115 billion this year) in the US, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region’s (hotelmarketing.com, 2007).
A recent online study conducted under 7000 Tripadvisor users also supports this increasing role in the planning and booking processes. This study found that 82,5 percent uses the Internet as their primary information source for booking a holiday. Furthermore, we see that web 2.0 like functionalities influence the selection process. 57,5 percent of the participants read online reviews to narrow down their choices and 75 percent of these people think that reviews highly influence their choices and give the most objective view (Gretzel, 2007).
But more is coming. The shift to travel 2.0 will offer new means of planning and booking a dream holiday.
